Just got 5th Element coil for my 06 Enduro for $99!!

I just bought the 5th Element coil for my Enduro. CBO is blowing them out. Normally they're $450.

I currently have the Fox DHX Air and I'm a big guy @230lbs and didn't like how the air blew through its travel so easily. I've been wanting a coil and was going to put a Fox DHX coil for $500 but now I'm going to try the 5th Element coil. I read the reviews and they are very good. Some say Fox DHX Coil may be better but who knows.

I used to have the 5th Element coil on my old Bullit and really liked it so why not try it again - especially for freakin' $99.

I also read the entire thread some time ago about putting a coil on the Enduro. Others were having an OK time using the Fox 8.75x2.75 so I'll do the same with 5th Element. I have a large frame which should help and have the high BB setting.

Let's see how it goes...

"If an illegal alien is an undocumented immigrant, than a drug dealer is an unlicensed pharmicist."

The progressive 5th isnt even in the same league as the dhx air. The 5th isnt made anymore so if it breaks parts are hard to come by unless you have another 5th to take parts from. The adjustments on the 5th are allen heads so you cant adjust by hand on the fly.

The dhx is such a superior shock. If you arnt getting the performance you feel like you need its because you have it set up wrong. I would strongly recommend crusing through the suspension tuning forums to get some help on how to set up your dhx air. I know that some riders that are fairly light have put the air chambers on the fox rp3 on the dhx air, allowing the rider to run less air pressure.

Comparing the two shocks in question is like comparing a rigid mountain bike, to a high end dh bike. The difference is that big. Im not saying the 5th is junk at all, it just isnt at all the shock that the dhx air is.

The progressive 5th isnt even in the same league as the dhx air. The 5th isnt made anymore so if it breaks parts are hard to come by unless you have another 5th to take parts from. The adjustments on the 5th are allen heads so you cant adjust by hand on the fly.

The dhx is such a superior shock. If you arnt getting the performance you feel like you need its because you have it set up wrong. I would strongly recommend crusing through the suspension tuning forums to get some help on how to set up your dhx air. I know that some riders that are fairly light have put the air chambers on the fox rp3 on the dhx air, allowing the rider to run less air pressure.

Comparing the two shocks in question is like comparing a rigid mountain bike, to a high end dh bike. The difference is that big. Im not saying the 5th is junk at all, it just isnt at all the shock that the dhx air is.

lol, you're new to mountain biking arnt you? Dont get me wrong, air has come a long way, but all dh bikes use coil springs. You can't get the same performance out of an air spring.

A lot of people complain about the dhx air for exactly the reasons the op explained, non-linear travel which comes hand in hand with air suspension.

Good buy OP, I'm sure you'll love the feel.

off topic:
is the enduro shuttle flipable from low bb to high bb or do i need to get a shuttle from a 150mm enduro? Im trying to see if I can turn my 140mm enduro into a 150mm enduro.

lol, you're new to mountain biking arnt you? Dont get me wrong, air has come a long way, but all dh bikes use coil springs. You can't get the same performance out of an air spring.

A lot of people complain about the dhx air for exactly the reasons the op explained, non-linear travel which comes hand in hand with air suspension.

Good buy OP, I'm sure you'll love the feel.

off topic:
is the enduro shuttle flipable from low bb to high bb or do i need to get a shuttle from a 150mm enduro? Im trying to see if I can turn my 140mm enduro into a 150mm enduro.

Exactly. Air has come a long way but that said there's nothing like the feel of a coil rear shock. Especially for heavier guys. I had to push almost 300psi into the DHX Air to get correct sag. And it just doesn't feel near as good as my old 5th Element Coil that I used to have on my Bullit.

Of course progressive suspension isn't in the mtn bike biz anymore however they still support their rear shocks at least for now. Who knows how long that will last but for $99 who cares? It'll be fun putting this on the Enduro and trying it out. Worst case scenario is I hate it or somehow it won't fit and i'm out $99. Big deal. I believe it was a good buy.

"If an illegal alien is an undocumented immigrant, than a drug dealer is an unlicensed pharmicist."

I'd go for the 350 for plushness/DH runs... *maybe* the 400 for Freeriding/sucking up big drops. I weigh about 170 with gear, and have a 400 on my enduro. So you'd probably be pretty good all around with the 350.

The improvement over the DHX air went like this:
DHX AIr = Enduro the worst bike I had ever ridden (pedal smack on climbs... )
5th Coil = Best bike I have ever ridden

Please note that it took me months of experimentation with all the settings of the 5th to get it right. And I am still tweaking to perfection. Take notes. I also created a 5 star rating for XC vs. DH on each setting with strength & weakness notes, cuz you can set it up how you like.

The improvement over the DHX air went like this:
DHX AIr = Enduro the worst bike I had ever ridden (pedal smack on climbs... )
5th Coil = Best bike I have ever ridden

Please note that it took me months of experimentation with all the settings of the 5th to get it right. And I am still tweaking to perfection. Take notes. I also created a 5 star rating for XC vs. DH on each setting with strength & weakness notes, cuz you can set it up how you like.

Ok, don't get the 8.75x2.75. It won't work. The resevoir won't fix. It hits the frame.

So the 8.5x2.5 works eh? Fortunately I purchased an 8.5x2.5 also for my future Heckler so perhaps I'll put this one on instead...

I believe you need to run the slack shuttle, then there is the frame welding variance, I have just a few mm of clearance for the resi. Small frames may have less clearance. My experience is only with the 8.5x2.5 on a large frame in the slack shuttle.

I believe you need to run the slack shuttle, then there is the frame welding variance, I have just a few mm of clearance for the resi. Small frames may have less clearance. My experience is only with the 8.5x2.5 on a large frame in the slack shuttle.

P

Yah that helped but I can't align the rear part of the shock to put bolt through. Any other suggestions?

I just stumbled on that huge coil thread and someone mentioned reducing to 2.5 by using spacers. That didn't make sense to me. Just adding a .25" washing in front of the preload collar doesn't seem like it would make sense.

"If an illegal alien is an undocumented immigrant, than a drug dealer is an unlicensed pharmicist."

Yah that helped but I can't align the rear part of the shock to put bolt through. Any other suggestions?

That is a huge PITA. A Specialized mech showed me that putting two of the through axles on both sides keeps it all together. We don't have two, so find something to improvise. It took me an hour when I did it.

Originally Posted by bullit71

I just stumbled on that huge coil thread and someone mentioned reducing to 2.5 by using spacers. That didn't make sense to me. Just adding a .25" washing in front of the preload collar doesn't seem like it would make sense.

Washer between spring and flat end. You would have to cut an access for the shaft. But that is only if you are bottoming on the frame. It does not change eye to eye.